


Free Freeman

by GhostTEETH



Series: Black Mesa: Dead By Daylight [2]
Category: HLVRAI - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Body Horror, Mild Gore, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Other, Temporary Character Death, They/Them Pronouns For Benrey (Half-Life)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-20
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:28:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28872312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GhostTEETH/pseuds/GhostTEETH
Summary: Benrey and Tommy return to try and save Gordon.
Relationships: Benrey/Gordon Freeman, Benrey/Tommy Coolatta
Series: Black Mesa: Dead By Daylight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2117370
Comments: 4
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The Dead By Daylight AU returns, also this was written on my phone so typos are 100% somewhere in here.
> 
> (Edit March 5th 2021)  
> Edits made for clarity and flow!

The smell of blood washes over Tommy like a tidal wave, and he gags, grasping at Benrey's hand in a panic. Benrey grabs back, staring out into the field, searching for movement. As the fog dissipated, the glow from the campfire appeared. Next to a log lay the time keeper Gordon had made, back when he… he was-

Benrey shook that thought from their head.

"nothing left to save…" Benrey mumbled, repeating Mr. Coolatta's words. The thought made them sick. How could there be nothing left to save? How could he be so sure?

Mr. Coolatta had refused to tell the Science Team what he'd seen, what Gordon was doing, what Gordon looked like. If he was injured, what he'd said to him. The only answer any of them had gotten was that there was nothing left to save and going back would be futile.

He'd hugged Tommy for a long time, longer than Tommy could ever remember, before quietly departing, saying he'd be back in a day or so. True to his word, he'd come back approximately 32 hours later, dodging every question thrown at him as expected, but keeping Tommy close.

This continued, over and over. Not even Tommy could break his father's silence. Bubby was the most persistent, occasionally holding Mr. Coolatta's suitcase hostage for information. (They found out that he has spare suitcases with the same exact items inside. Tommy was not surprised.)

Unstoppable force versus immovable object, Coomer had said enthusiastically.

After nearly a month of nothing, Benrey broke and lost control. 

_ "WHY COULDN'T I SAVE HIM"  _

_ Their body warped, bones snapping, muscles and sinew reforming over the fractures, even absorbing the wood of the table they had smashed. The room filled with every single color in existence, before it all turned to black tar, and Benrey started to melt into a puddle of the sludge. _

_ Tommy begged Benrey to stop, his own Sweet Voice adding to the mix, as the air grew staticy. _

_ Their screams summoned an ungodly amount of skeletons before Mr. Coolatta put an end to it, promising he would look into a solution to their predicament. _

Black Sweet Voice bubbled out between Benrey's teeth, and Tommy squeezed Benrey's hand.

"Some, sometimes he says things that are wrong, or, or misleading," Tommy paused to take a deep breath, "cause he doesn't want to, you know. Give too much info?"

_ Or give false hope _ . Tommy thought to himself grimly.

They stood for a moment in silence, thinking. "do you think we'll find him?" Benrey whispered, their voice wavering.

Tommy didn't answer, but rather took out the satchel his father had given him. "He said… he said, if we burn what's inside this, at the campfire... we'll, we'll raise our chances. Of bringing him home."

The pair stared at the satchel, the red twine tied neatly in a bow on top. Neither wanted to voice their doubts that this was absolute bullshit and would do nothing to help them find Gordon.

The one who'd set them all free.

Tommy untied the satchel with shaking hands, afraid to see what would happen, or what was inside.

Next to him, Benrey held two medkits. One for themselves, and one for Tommy.

_ "You… can burn the contents of this…" Mr. Coolatta said. "It will… increase the chances of his... homecoming. I can only hold the exit open for a time… make sure that if… you find him, you are able to lure him back quickly. There will be… a chamber ready to contain him." _

A shuddered breath left Benrey. "did he say what was inside?"

"Uh… a picture. I think."

"pog."

The satchel was open finally, and inside was a photo. Benrey reached over to look, their curiosity overtaking their brain, and froze.

It was  _ two _ photos.

One of Joshua, Gordon's late son. The one Gordon had kept in his locker at Black Mesa.

And one of Gordon and the Science Team, at the zoo together. When Benrey had still lived with him.

Gordon was staring at Benrey, and the love and admiration in his eyes was obvious.

It  _ hurt. _

They wiped their eyes quickly, hiccuping as they did so.

_ Why had they fucked everything up? _

"lets go." they mumbled.

With a nod, Tommy threw the photos in the fire. He immediately grabbed onto Benrey's hand and the other medkit. "Come home, Mr. Freeman." Tommy whispered as the wind surrounded them.

"cmon feetman."

Their landing was disorienting, but their hands were still clasped together. Tommy silently counted that a victory as he looked around.

The area was… messy. To say the least.

An outdoor field with trees that could have easily been from Xen, with a Black Mesa looking structure in the center.

Wait.

It  _ was _ a Black Mesa structure. A water tower, to be exact. Scattered around were random pieces of metal, concrete, even a cart. Tommy could just make out a lambda lab insignia on one of them.

_ "BBBBBBBBBBB" _

"Benrey!" Tommy hissed, clapping a hand over Benrey's mouth. Benrey stiffened. "We need to be quiet."

"dont like." Benrey said, muffled from behind Tommy's hand.

Something hit the ground a few feet in front of them, and they jumped away, eyes locked to it. After a moment, the dust settled and it was easy to see that it was part of the HEV suit.

Against his better judgement, Tommy called out.

"Gordon?"

The orange suit began to move, softly groaning.

In front of them, was a horrific creature covered in scrap metal and glass. There were four eyes hidden within the charred and mangled flesh, broken glass near each one. The HEV suit was in various pieces, each one embedded in the flesh, the chest piece going through what was, at some point, ribs. Black veins crossed its body, pulsing along the skin it touched.

As the creature turned, Benrey saw the right arm.

The hand had been cut off just below the wrist, and pieces of metal and wire now took its place.

Their heart stopped.

"g-gordon…?" they whispered shakily.

Tommy dropped his medkit as he covered his mouth, tears streaming down his face.

Benrey cleared their throat, anxiously stepping closer. "feetman… b, bro?" They hoped that it would alert him, bring him back.

A gurgling sound came from Gordon's chest, dark liquid dripping out of the cavity onto his bare feet. He tilted his head, processing.

"Be...n….nnnre...y." he took a step closer, his left hand reaching out.

Benrey could have lost it again, had they not been focused on getting him out. So they held out a hand, nodding. "hey. feetman. whats…" Benrey trailed off.

A low rumble rolled out of Gordon. A growl. "Out…"

He took a step.

Coming to his senses, Tommy stepped closer. "We're… here to get you, get you out. Mr. Freeman! Take you home!" Tommy smiled nervously.

_ What had happened to him? _

Below Gordon's feet, a portal was appearing, to signal that Mr. Coolatta knew they'd found him, had seen there was a chance to capture him, that he was going to get Gordon. That he was going to take Gordon home, take all three of them home.

Gordon looked down towards the portal under his feet.

Another growl left his throat, the flesh rippling. 

His head snapped up. "Get…"

Black sludge poured from his wounds.

_ "Get out!" _

Just as he lunged, the portal opened. The three of them tumbled, twisting through empty space.

Benrey could hear Gordon wailing in rage.

_ GO AWAY! LEAVE ME! _

They began to shake, all the emotions Gordon had pushed down escaping, hitting Benrey over and over. How unloved he had felt, how abandoned. All the fear and confusion, guilt, rage, depression. It began to eat Benrey alive.

Somewhere, they could hear Tommy screaming, too.

_ "Mr. Freeman, stop! You're hurting them!" _

Finally, there was nothing. The world went black.


	2. Update notif

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi!

Just a way to notify everyone ive updated this chapter! I realized that when i just change the already posted chapters it won't notify any of you :( since im on my phone its a little more complicated than id like, but hopefully ill find an easier solution soon!

Thank you all for your patience, so sorry it took a while!! :D i appreciate it sm!

Also im out here replying to comments a month late sorry omg-

Literally a month happened in like two days and i dont know how

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to be returning to this and the first one to do some edits and to fix up some choppy bits I don't like. Not on my phone, of course.
> 
> Hope yall like !
> 
> (Edit March 5th, 2021)  
> IT HAS BEEN DONE :D


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